Curriculum Vitae
Stephen James Levas
ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210
Email: levas.1@osu.edu
Tel: 614-292-1634
Website: http://earthsciences.osu.edu/~levas.1
RESEARCH INTERESTS
-Coral bleaching physiology, ecology, isotope biogeochemistry, and resilience
-Organic carbon and nutrient cycling on coral reefs
EDUCATION
BSc. Science of Earth Systems (2007), Distinction, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
PhD Geology (Marine Biogeochemistry) (In progress), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Biogeochemistry of bleached and recovering Pacific and Caribbean corals and of the overlying
reef seawater dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations. PhD Candidate (2009)
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth Sciences Scholarship (2011):
Award for completing all three Phases of the MSPHDS program
Estwing Award (2008): Award for best new graduate student in the School of Earth Sciences at The
Ohio State University
Morely Scholarship (2006): Cornell University student research scholarship
Leadership Alliance Scholarship (2006)
FUNDED GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Columbus City School District – Dream Grant (2010-2011) Collaborative Research: Bringing coral
research to the classroom. Megan Coovert (lead) and SJ Levas $2,600.
National Academy of Sciences – Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship (2009-2012). Full tuition and
stipend support at The Ohio State University in the School of Earth Sciences (Fall 2007 to
present) Under the guidance of Dr. Andrea Grottoli. Studying the resilience of three species of
Caribbean corals to bleaching events along with carbon cycling on healthy and stressed reefs.
Supported for 3 years by the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship.
Institution for Broadening Participation – Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success
in Earth Sciences Fellowship (Fall 2009 to Spring 2011). Fund attendance to conferences such
as American Geophysical Union and American Society of Limnology and Oceanography and
agencies in Washington D.C.
National Science Foundation – East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute Fellowship (June 2008 to Sept
2008) Worked with Dr. Kenneth Anthony studying the effects of nutrients on bleached and
nonbleached corals. Synergistic Impacts of Coastal Eutrophication and Elevated Ocean
Temperature on Corals and Overlying Reef Seawater Chemistry.
Leadership Alliance and National Science Foundation – Research Experience for
Undergraduates at Cornell University and University of New Hampshire (Summer 2006).
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Freshwater Rock Pools in the Gulf of Maine under Dr.
James Morin.
National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates at Oregon State University
(Summer 2005). Cryptic Behavior of Juvenile English Sole: Implications for Predation
Susceptibility under Dr. Clifford Ryer.
National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee (Summer 2004). Protein Content of Wild and Experimental Mussels with
Ammonia/Phosphate Excretion Rates.
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
1. Ryer, C.H., Lemke, J.L., Boersma, K., and Levas, S.J. (2008) Adaptive coloration, behavior and
predation vulnerability in 3 north Pacific flatfishes. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology. 359: 62-66.
PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS
Levas SJ, Schoepf V, Warner ME, Grottoli AG (2011) Energy reserves and calcification of
bleached Montastraea faveolata, Porites astreoides, and Porites divaricata. American
Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) Ocean Science Meeting, San Juan, Puerto
Rico
Grottoli AG, Warner ME, Levas SJ, Aschaffenberg MD, Schoepf V, McGinley MP (2011) The
effect of repeat bleaching on coral species-algal symbiont type combinations and resilience.
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) Ocean Science Meeting, San
Juan, Puerto Rico
Schoepf V, Levas SJ, Warner ME, Grottoli AG (2011) The effect of repeat bleaching on energy
reserves of three Caribbean coral species. American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography (ASLO) Ocean Science Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico
McGinley MP, Aschaffenburg MD, Grottoli AG, Levas SJ, Schoepf V, Warner ME (2011)
Temporal dynamics of Symbiodinium populations in Caribbean corals following a repetitive
bleaching experimient. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) Ocean
Science Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Baumann J, Grottoli AG, Levas SJ, Schoepf V, Warner M (2011) The effects of repeat bleaching
on P/R and feeding rates of three species of Caribbean coral. American Society of
Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) Ocean Science Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Levas SJ, Grottoli AG, Hughes AD, Pease TK (2010) Energy reserves, calcification, and carbon
allocation of bleached Porites lobata. 2009 American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography and American Geophysical Union Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR
Levas SJ and Morin, J (2007) Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Freshwater Rock Pools in the Gulf of
Maine. Benthic Ecology Meetings, Atlanta, GA
Levas SJ and Morin J (2007) Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Freshwater Rock Pools in the Gulf of
Maine. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Santa Fe, NM
Levas SJ and Ryer C (2006) Cryptic Behavior of Juvenile English Sole: Implications for Predation
Susceptibility. American Society for Limnology and Oceanography, Honolulu, HA
Levas SJ, Aguilar C, and Cuhel R (2005) Protein Content of Wild and Experimental Mussels with
Ammonia/Phosphate Excretion Rates. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Salt
Lake City, UT
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant at The Ohio State University:
Introduction to Earth System Science, 2007
Head Teaching Assistant at The Ohio State University:
Introduction to Earth System Science, 2008
INTERNATIONAL COURSES
Photosynthesis and Light on Coral Reefs course in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, 2009
Marine Ecology Graduate class at Bermuda Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, 2007
New Cultural Experiences Program in Belize and Guatemala, 2005
INVITED SPEAKER
“Energy reserves and carbon isotopes in Porites lobata”
National Science Foundation, MSPHDS poster presentations
The Ohio State University, School of Earth Sciences, Brown Bag Seminar
The Ohio State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Darwin
Award Seminar
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Bringing coral reef research to the classroom
Designed an interactive experiment utilizing my current research and brought it to 5 classes of
freshman at Briggs High School. This is an ongoing project in collaboration with the high
school teacher, Ms Megan Coovert (covert.8@osu.edu)
Wonders of Our World- 2007-2008
Designed Experiments for application in K-12 classrooms